


Partner

by eerian_sadow



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Challenge fic, Community: prowlxjazz, Friendship, Gen, Partnership, Theft, Vigilante Justice, robin hood themed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-15
Updated: 2011-09-15
Packaged: 2018-02-13 11:57:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2149881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eerian_sadow/pseuds/eerian_sadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's not a criminal; he looking out for the poor people of Praxus.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Partner

**Author's Note:**

> for week two of the [](http://prowlxjazz.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://prowlxjazz.livejournal.com/)**prowlxjazz** 2011 Anniversary challenge. No, I don’t know where that bit about Jazz’s parentage came from.
> 
> fills Prompt: #8 I'm a freelance wealth redistribution specialist

He slid through the shadows quietly, careful of his awkward body shape in the tiny living quarters. He didn’t want to disturb the meager contents of the apartment and wake the mechs recharging on the other side of the room. Their lives were hard enough without being deprived of their rest as well.

Hopefully, though, the small contribution he laid on the table would help with that.

He left them a credit chip—the non-descript type that any common worker would carry—containing enough credits to get them by for the next meta-cycle and several cubes of fuel-grade energon. He wanted to do more for them, but this was all he could manage today. It would ease their suffering, though, and that was enough.

He slipped back through the shadows after leaving his gift and out of the apartment. There were others who needed his assistance tonight.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

“Hey, Prowl! Did you hear?”

Prowl gave his partner a curious look as he settled in behind his desk. “Hear what?”

Jazz settled onto the corner of the Praxian’s desk with a grin. “Somebody knocked over Tradewinds’ warehouse last night. Stole his energon supply, emptied his bank accounts and then called us to come and collect those stimulants he’s been supplying to the slums. The way Overseer told it, they found Tradewinds tied up with an entire dose of the stuff in his system.”

“And at least one pleasure bot having her way with him, I imagine,” Prowl replied dryly. “This is the third dealer this meta-cycle. Were there any more clues this time than last?”

“Not a one.” Jazz grinned. “Whoever’s responsible is _good_. Wouldn’t mind meeting him, just to shake his hand and complement his style.”

“Jazz.” The Praxian gave his partner an amused look. “Only you could want to meet a vigilante and complement them on their style.”

“Hey, no reason not to respect talent when I see it.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Word about him had started to spread through the slums. Crime lords and chemical dealers were raising their security. The poor mechs and femmes had a brighter shine in their optics and a bit of hope on their faces. The enforcers were actively searching for him.

He had expected the first and third outcomes, but they did make his self-appointed task more difficult.

He cast a careful optic over the street to make sure no one was watching, then slipped silently into the sprawling Kaon embassy complex. Those who gained their wealth by criminal means did not all reside in the slums, after all. And the poor and downtrodden of the city would not disappear simply because it was inconvenient for him to acquire fuel and funding for them.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Prowl chuckled as he read over the morning's news upload. The news outlets were in a frenzy over a break in at the Kaon embassy, though more than one reporter had subtly implied that they thought "Peace Ambassador" Clench had gotten what he deserved. Prowl agreed, though he would never say it out loud.

"What's so funny?"

Prowl realized he was smirking when his partner asked the question and relaxed his face into its usual somber lines. "This."

The smaller enforcer grinned as he read over the news. "Looks like our vigilante knows we're looking for him. Bout time someone put ol' Clench in his place, though."

"Jazz," Prowl chided. "You shouldn't say things like that. You need to have _some_ level of respect for those of higher station."

"Higher station my skidplate. That rust stain ain't nothing but a bully."

"That may be, Jazz." The Praxian frowned at his partner. "But I don't want to have to get you out of trouble if the Commander hears you."

The visored mech waved a hand dismissively. “Ain’t nothin’ to worry about there. The boss is too scared of my creator to do anything. You know that.”

“One of these days, Jazz, being the Lord Protector’s creation will not keep you out of trouble.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

He’d had to lay low for a few cycles after the raid at the Kaon Embassy. After that raid, the Lord Protector and the military had been after him too, and that was more dangerous to his goals than the enforcers ever could be. It was better that he stay out of sight for a bit than deprive the people of his assistance. They needed the energon and credits and to get those, he had to stay out of prison.

He went back out though, the moment that the Lord Protector withdrew the military troops.

His first stop was a warehouse that he knew was still owned by one of the crime lords he had called the enforcers on last meta-cycle. There would be a minimum number of guards—no one wanted to be associated with a known criminal after all, even in the scummy underworld—and it would be easy to get in, get energon and get out. He slipped in through a high window and dropped silently onto a catwalk.

It all went to the Pit from there.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

Jazz strolled along the catwalks in Tradewinds’ “secret” warehouse tiredly. He didn’t know why the Commander had decided they needed to raid this place now, when the owner was already in their custody but it was a good thing they had. Some of the chemical compounds they had pulled out of the place would kill a mech in a single dose. Something like that was _not_ anything he wanted ending up on the street. He was patrolling the walks now to make sure there weren’t any hidden crates.

He was expecting anything as he walked, except for a figure to drop though a window and onto the catwalk in front of him.

His optics went wide behind his visor and he reached for his weapon. The figure in front of him lunged to stop him. After a brief scuffle, the mech from the window was sitting on top of Jazz, one hand over the enforcer’s mouth and the other holding his pistol over his head.

“Jazz, be silent!” the other mech hissed.

Jazz froze at the familiar voice. Rather than continuing to struggle, he took in the sight of the mech above him. The mech’s colors were muted, the paint covered with some grayish substance that prevented any reflection and helped him blend into the shadows. But he had a pair of bold doorwings and a bright red chevron that refused to be camouflaged. And the enforcer knew that finely detailed face as well as his own.

He nodded slowly and hoped to Primus that he hadn’t just given his partner a chance to kill him.

Prowl removed his hands from Jazz’s hand and mouth and leaned back. He didn’t stand up, which gave him at least some advantage over the smaller mech, but he did relax a fraction.

“What are you doing here?” the Praxian asked quietly. “You should have been off duty tonight.”

“I was. Commander wanted me on the raid.” Jazz kept his voice equally soft. “What are you doing here? Why were you breaking in?”

Prowl looked down at the floor. “Because this is what I do.”

The visored mech frowned at the other’s words. “You break into places? But why? You have a perfectly good job as an enforcer!”

“There are some things that enforcers cannot do.”

After a moment, the pieces all clicked together in Jazz’s processor. “You’re the vigilante.”

“I prefer to think of myself as a wealth redistribution specialist.” Prowl gave his partner a pained smile. “But yes. None of the people who truly need it see any of the wealth that mechs like Tradewinds acquire illegally.”

“So you take their ill-gotten gains and give them to people who actually need them.” Jazz grinned. “That’s downright noble of you. ‘Specially since it could land you in prison for a very long time if you get caught.”

“I know. I always felt the risk was acceptable.”

“It still is.” The smaller mech nudged the larger until Prowl moved off of Jazz’s abdominal plates. “Stay here while I go report in. I’ll comm you when we’ve cleared out.”

“I don’t understand.” Prowl frowned at him as Jazz stood up.

“I’m your partner, Prowl. That means I help keep you out of messes, not get you into them.”

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-

They met in a dark room not far from the Enforcers’ station.

“So who we hittin’ tonight?”

“I was considering the embassy again. Clench may be gone, but his replacement is just as corrupt.”

“You really want to get my creator involved again?”

“I thought the Lord Protector hated Shockwave.”

“He does… OH! Partner, I like the way you think.”  



End file.
